Harper vs Raya
Harper and Rayacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #21 and Raya #117 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #22 and Raya #82 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Harper was ranked #54 and Raya #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Harper was ranked #84 and Raya #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2020, Harper was ranked #921 and Raya #4608 among boys in England and Wales.
Harper and Raya over time
Harper and Raya appear together in 3 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Harper held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Raya in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Harper reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Raya in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Raya moved ahead of Harper in Northern Ireland · Girls — #51 and #95 the year before became #84 and #70.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Harper #22 in 2023, Raya #82 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Raya in 10.
Highest recorded here: Harper #22 in 2023, Raya #82 in 2024.
The order changed in 2012: Harper moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #858 and #744; by 2012 that had become #284 and #701.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #22, Raya #82.
Northern Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2024
Harper held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Raya in 1.
Highest recorded here: Harper #38 in 2021, Raya #70 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Raya moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #51 and #95; by 2024 that had become #84 and #70.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Harper #84, Raya #70.
Republic of Ireland · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2025
Harper held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Raya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Harper #54 in 2025, Raya #99 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Harper #54, Raya #99.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Harper | Raya |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname for someone who played or made harps, from Old English 'hearpe'. Popularized as a given name partly through author Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɑɹ.pəɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #15 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Harper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Raya does not have one recorded yet.
- Harper has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Raya.
- A meaning is recorded for Harper; Raya doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Harper
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #2425 among boys in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2023
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 2012–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Raya
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2014–2024
Highest recorded position: #70 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #99 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls